Having a diverse workforce is a competitive advantage and not merely a human resources initiative, according to Cate Roberts, director of diversity and community affairs at Textron Inc. The conglomerate, which is staffed with 44,000 employees and is comprised of Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Co. and many other companies, approaches diversity with a strategic objective.
"The three tenets of our business case are: Race for Talent, Need to Globalize and Innovation," explains Roberts. "We believe that diverse work teams create more innovative products and make us more competitive."
Source: Industry Week, http://industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=17033